WE DON’T HAVE TO IMPRESS GOD
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
Matthew 6:5 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Jesus is teaching His followers—and us—how to pray. This is probably one of the hardest habits for most Christians to develop at a consistent level in their lives.
It is interesting that Jesus begins by saying, “When you pray…” Note Jesus does not say, “If you pray….” There was an expectation that prayer would be a regular part of being a follower of Jesus.
Then Jesus gives a negative — “don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in synagogues where everyone can see them.” The point is pretty clear prayer is not an act that is supposed to impress people with how spiritual we are.
Growing up in church I thought you had to change your voice and prayer in King James English to do it right. I thought this because when my dad asked people to pray in church the men always lowered their voices and used King James words. They sounded so holy when they did that.
It wasn’t until I read Matthew 6 on prayer that I realized those were the people Jesus was saying not to be like. Don’t make prayer a show to impress others.
Prayer is a communication between me and God. I don’t have to impress God. He knows everything about me already so I might as well just be myself and talk to Him from my heart.
I personally use the outline of the Lord’s Prayer as my outline for my prayer time. It is a tool that helps me remember to take time to give Him praise, then to present my petitions to Him for His will to be done and for my daily needs, and then I conclude by asking for purity in forgiveness for myself and for me to be forgiving of others.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me to develop a habit of prayer. Help me to learn to talk to You and allow You to guide my words.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
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